Apple Bans ComiXology Content for Guidelines Violations

ComiXology, the digital location for comic books, ended up getting a disappointing message from Apple this week. 56 new release titles were being banned from the iOS version of app for content violations. While this is not the first time ComiXology has received a takedown notice from Apple, some of the reasoning this time around was surprising.

Some comics were banned for sexual content, which is expected from Apple, a company who once censored the dictionary for sexual content. What was surprising, however, was the request to remove content that featured Satan and homosexuality. Yes, that's right; Apple, the hipster brand, seems to have banned comic books that contain gay characters because they are gay characters.

The most interesting thing about all of this is that several of the removed titles are available in Apple's own iBookstore. This leaves us to question whether or not Apple gave a list of titles or merely said something like "You have titles that don't meet these guidelines: sex, gay, Satan," leaving ComiXology to interpret. This wouldn't be the first time this has happened, as last month they removed a title they thought Apple had a problem with.

What this all means is that Apple's content guidelines are still a moving target, which is impossible to hit as a content provider. People ask us all the time why PLuGHiTz live content is not immediately available through an app on iOS. We have a Palm/HP app in the marketplace now and a Windows Phone/Windows 8 app in the works, but we do not directly provide content to iOS. The answer to that question is this article right here. If we cannot control our own content, we will not provide it to your platform.